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How To Organize Brushes In Photoshop
There are lots of different types of brushes that you can use in Photoshop and other programs, but having lots of brushes can quickly get out of hand if they are not properly organized.
If you are someone that has lots of brushes in Photoshop, you have probably found that it is so cluttered that you struggle to find what you are looking for.
Thankfully, if you are willing to take some time out of your day to get them organized, you can make using Photoshop brushes much more straightforward and less time-consuming.
The last thing that you want to do is scroll through endless lists of brushes trying to find what you are looking for, and we are here to help you to avoid this.
In this article, we are going to tell you exactly how you can organize your Photoshop brushes so that they become less chaotic.
This will help you to find what you are looking for with ease, rather than being presented with hundreds or more of brushes that hide the ones that you are looking for.
Just keep reading to find out how to do this yourself.
Table Of Contents:
How To Organize Brushes In Photoshop
How To Organize Brushes In Photoshop
Now that you know that organizing your brushes is a possibility, you are probably keen to get started on the task ahead.
We are going to tell you everything you need to know about this process below.
There are two different methods that you can follow to organize your Photoshop brushes, and we will explain each of them in depth.
Creating Folders To Store Brushes
The first method that you can follow to organize your Photoshop brushes would be to create different folders that you can use to store different brushes.
Step 1
The first thing that you will need to do is to save the brushes that you currently have before you make any changes.
If you do not have them backed up in a place where you can find them, once they are gone, they are gone.
You will need to access the brushes panel, and to do this, you simply need to press ‘B’ on your keyboard. The brushes options should be at the top of your screen.
Step 2
You should also make a folder that you will be using to store all of the brushes that you use.
You can then proceed to add any subfolders that you think you will use to store other brushes. Click on the Folder icon at the bottom of the Brushes panel to do this.
The brushes might not go into the folder that you wanted them to, and if this is the case, you will need to drag them into the right folder.
If you want to keep all of your brushes in a single folder, group them together.
Step 3
You can also rename your brushes to make them easier to identify.
For example, you could use words like ‘watercolor’ or ‘shapes’ to help you further separate your brushes into categories that make them easy to identify.
Step 4
It can also be helpful to see what the tip of a brush looks like. You can do this by clicking in the upper right-hand corner and selecting ‘brush tip’.
This will allow you to see the Brush Panel options. Make sure that ‘brush name’, ‘brush stroke’, ‘and brush tip’ are all selected.
Step 5
You will now need to find the best location for you to store all of your brushes.
It is important to be able to find brushes if you were to accidentally delete them, especially if you have paid for these brushes. Choose a save location that is memorable.
Step 6
Every now and then, you should make some time to clean up your brush panel. This could involve setting it to default or deleting all of the brushes that you don’t use from the brush panel.
If you are removing any brushes from the panel, make sure that you know where the original brush files are saved, so you don’t lose them entirely.
Saving The Brushes In The Brushes Panel
The second method of organizing your brushes in Photoshop that we are going to talk about involves saving the brushes in your brushes panel.
Step 1
The first thing that you need to do is to create your brush. Once you have done this, the brush will be loaded onto your screen.
You should click on the + sign that is at the bottom of the brushes panel. If you are altering a brush, this is the name that you will see in the name block.
Otherwise, this will be a random generic name that you will need to change.
Step 2
Now, you will need to select the correct options. You should unmark ‘capture brush size in preset’. This only needs to be marked if it is an important part of the brush.
500 to 1000 pixels is plenty when it comes to size, and you should also unmark ‘include tool settings’ unless you have made the brush for a specific reason and this is all you will be using the brush for.
Step 3
Depending on the type of brush that you are creating, there might be a color box. You should only check the box if you want to choose a color for your mixer brush.
It doesn’t need to be a specific color unless this is the only color you ever want to use with the brush.
Brushes can be loaded with or without a color, but you can change the color once you have loaded the brush if you need to.
Step 4
Always ensure that you give the brush an identifiable name that tells you a little about the type of brush. This will help you to remember what the brush is for.
You can also group certain brushes to make them more easily identifiable. Keep in mind that you can drag and drop brushes into different folders if you need to.